Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Spinning yarn, with a rock

I think I didn't record here the amazing story of my 12-minute clothes shopping spree a few weeks ago. You know that game show Supermarket Sweeps where contestants have a set time in which to rack up the highest grocery bill? Well, I would be a cinch for that game because I always seem to notice the most expensive things first. So let me just say that the 12-minute spree was not all Win.

No, I don't mean because this smocky thing looks so drab on the hanger. Trust me, it looks fab on and: Pockets!!!

Here is the amazing:

In just 12 minutes I was not only able to

run into a dress shop recommended to me by the enviably-dressed Jocelyn at my favourite yarn store Stitch,

secure assistance in locating vesty or tunicky layering garments,

try on about 7 of same,

turn down 4 and

get back to the counter without missing so much as a sock
(mainly because those don't come off in the first place)

BUT

I also pulled off a yarny chat with the otherwise lovely woman who assisted me in spending a shocking amount of money in just 12 minutes. She knits, but she had also become recently interested in rock spindling.

Rock spindling, you ask? Yes, I did too.

It's spinning, using A Rock as the weight, and Nothing as the any other part of the process. And I swear to you that when I got home and looked up rock spindling on YouTube, I did find a video of somebody showing how you do it. I just can't seem to find that video now.

Essentially - and this has got to be spinning at its most essential and also, early - rock spindling seems to be a blend of bottom-whorl spindling and kick spindling, the idea being to spin the rock by hand or foot, then wrap the spun yarn around the rock as you go.

(I probably lost you at kick spindling, didn't I.)

Thank goodness I have a spinning wheel and a mountain of stuff that has to get done, because this sort of discovery is exactly what I could really dig myself into a hole with. Which probably makes it mean of me to mention it to anybody else. Oops!